Felix stepped away from the auction hall and into a quieter adjoining room, far from the noise of bidding and conversation.
The space was simple equipped with dim lighting, a desk and single attendant.
A woman stood waiting, composed and professional.
She smiled politely when she saw Felix, "Are you Mr. Felix? Number 56?"
Felix gave a small nod in agreement.
"And how will you be paying, sir? Cash or card?"
Felix reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black card.
"Card."
She gestured to the terminal. "Would you like to pay in instalments?"
"No," Felix said flatly. "Full payment."
She nodded and processed it quickly. A soft beep confirmed the transaction, and a receipt printed out moments later.
"Thank you, Mr. Felix. Everything is confirmed. Your purchase will be ready for collection."
Felix didn’t respond. He just turned away and walked out before she could say anything more.
Outside, he saw the livestock being loaded into his truck, moments later he climbed into his truck and the livestock in the back shifted as they were restless.
The sound made by the livestock echoed faintly through the cabin. Felix tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
’I need to get home.’ he thought. The animals in the back continued making noise.
Felix clenched the steering wheel and gulped down his salvia, ’No...I need something first.’ he pondered.
The silence inside the truck pressed in on him. His thoughts began to drift, unfocused, until he saw a narrow dirt path ahead.
"There." he said as sweat dropped from his forehead.
He drove towards the dirt road and parked his car between the trees, parking just beneath the shade.
The engine died and silence followed shortly after.
Felix stepped out slowly as he walked to the back of the truck.
The moment he saw them, the hunger stirred. His eyes settled on the goat. Saliva gathered in his mouth.
He swallowed, hard. The goat bleated as he reached in and grabbed its leg. His grip tightened instinctively.
A low sound escaped him as he leaned down...
He bit the goat and warm blood flooded his mouth instantly. The taste was rich metallic. He could feel the pulse of the goat as he still held it’s leg.
His entire body reacted.
His eyes shut tightly as the sensation spread through him, it was sharp and overwhelming.
For a moment, nothing else existed in Felix’s eyes as the real world was dulled down by the warm sensation he felt.
Then out of nowhere, the goat kicked violently, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground.
Felix hit the dirt hard.
He lay there, breathing heavily, blood still coating his tongue and teeth.
Slowly, clarity returned to him as his breathing slowed down.
The hunger had dulled but it was not gone. It was just quiet.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up, steadying himself.
"...That’s enough." he murmured.
Back in the truck, he drove home without stopping again.
Once inside the house, Felix moved quickly. He grabbed the recorder.
Click.
"Subject can suppress hunger for an extended period using blood from larger animals."
He paused.
Then his expression shifted.
’Recognition.’ he thought.
During the serum’s development... he had used genetic material from a hematophagous species.
A blood-feeding bat.
Felix exhaled slowly, "So I don’t need to consume everything... just blood. Provided the source is large enough and the blood is rich....."
Later that day, he tested it.
Carefully he extracted blood from the goat and drank it in measured amounts.
The effect was immediate. The hunger that was eating him from the inside disappeared for that moment.
Felix leaned back slightly while smiling. "...Efficient."
But the next morning...something was wrong.
Felix passed the mirror and stopped, his reflection staring back at him.
He was thinner, subtly but undeniably thinner.
At first, he dismissed it.
’Insufficient intake.’ he thought. He adjusted and increased the blood intake all while monitoring his condition.
By nightfall he was now thinner than before.
Felix ran a hand through his hair, frustration building, "Why is this happening? I’m not even hungry..."
The hunger was gone but so was something else.
He grabbed the recorder and began reviewing previous logs.
Searching for anything...he was replaying them all, analysing them...Then he found it.
"Day 10: Consumption of animal flesh initiates body reconstruction. Large quantities of blood suppress hunger, but effects are temporary."
Felix froze. "...Flesh....Of course, blood stabilised but it didn’t build."
He smiled, "at least I’m not a vampire."
Felix moved immediately to the kitchen and grabbed a knife and went down to the storage room.
The goat looked at him as he entered. Felix hesitated."...Sorry buddy, it’s survival of the fittest and I need to survive."
Then he struck. The cut wasn’t clean. The goat struggled instantly, panic setting in.
Felix reacted poorly his movements rushed and unsteady, he struck again and again.
"Just stay still" His voice broke under the strain.
Eventually, the animal collapsed and shortly after silence hit but it didn’t last long as the other animals started making noise.
Felix stood there, breathing heavily, hands trembling.
After a moment, he forced himself to continue.
He prepared the meat into cubes put them in a plate, "even if I’m eating this saw I can still do it civilised."
He then grabbed a folk and knife and started eating.
After he was done eating he waited.
But nothing happened.
"...Maybe it takes time." he said.
Morning came.
Felix stood in front of the mirror but today he was thinner than yesterday. Panic crept in.
"No... that doesn’t make sense. I followed the process.
Something is wrong. Something is still wrong."
He grabbed the recorder again, going through every detail, every entry, every variable. Then a line simple but overlooked.
"Subject must consume fresh flesh to trigger effect."
Felix went still, "...Fresh."
’That explains it....the time I took preparing it and the way I took so long to eat it.’
His expression hardened, "There’s only one way to confirm." Knife in hand, he descended into the basement.
The sheep stood in the corner. Felix stared at it for a moment....He hesitated then he moved fast and he was precise as well as he cut into it.
He tore a piece free and forced it into his mouth.
Everything changed instantly. His body reacted violently. Saliva flooded his mouth. His heart slammed against his ribs.
The hunger returned now stronger, sharper and uncontrolled.
His thoughts dissolved as self-control vanished.
When Felix came back to himself, there was nothing left.
Only the bone and fragments.
Silence.
The smell reached him next....blood a heavy and suffocating stench.
He turned slowly, taking in what remained.
Then the pain. It hit all at once.
Sharp and relentless as his memory followed, every second, "...What have I done..."
He staggered out of the basement and into the living room.
As he passed the television, his reflection caught his eye.
He stopped. Something was different. He lifted his shirt slowly and the thin frame gone replaced with a dense and muscular frame
Felix smiled faintly, "So that’s the answer..."
He picked up the recorder.
Click.
"Subject requires both blood and flesh. Blood suppresses hunger. Fresh flesh enables reconstruction. Quantity directly affects recovery rate."
Click.
He lowered the device, "I need more data."
His expression darkened, "This still isn’t enough."
There was only one place left. "The facility."
Felix knew the risks, he new access wasn’t simple.
Security was tight and controlled but he had options.
Connections and leverage.
He checked the time and frowned.
"Not now."
He leaned back slightly, "Tomorrow."
Felix closed his eyes and for a moment stillness then a slow grin spread across his face.
"Just you wait... Jack Pemedow..." His voice dropped, quiet and controlled. "I’ll repay everything you did to me..."
A pause.
"...tenfold."
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